ET-AVJ 737 MAX-8 crashed after take-off

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10 Mar 2019 - ET-AVJ 737 MAX-8 crashed after take-off

On 10 March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX-8, ET-AVJ (62450/7243) FF 30/10/18, departed Bole International Airport (HAAB) for Nairobi at 08:38L. Contact was lost with the flight 6 minutes after take-off. a spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines said. It crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital.

Flightradar shows a climb to 8600ft (NB airport elevation is 7,656ft). The data ends at a speed of 383kts at 08:44L (06:44z). Both the CVR and FDR have been recovered.

In a press conference on 10/3/19 Ethiopian Airlines stated that the crew reported difficulties and requested a return to Addis Ababa. Independent reports say that the crew declared an emergency shortly departure reporting they had unreliable airspeed indications and had control difficulties with the aircraft. The Captain had flown for Ethiopian Airlines for 9 years and had 8000 hrs TT. The F/O had 200 hrs TT.

The crash site appears to be consistent with a steep dive, the aircraft is right inside the ground. The aircraft had undergone last "rigorous first check maintenance" on 4/2/19. The aircraft had last operated to and from Johannesburg arriving back on the morning of the accident date.

The flight was carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew members; there were no survivors. Our deepest condolences to the families of those that have lost their loved ones.

HAAB 100600Z 07010KT 9999 FEW025 18/09 Q1029

The fact that control was lost so soon after take-off on a 737 MAX points to potential similarities with the Lion Air MAX accident, which was found to be caused by the new MAX MCAS system.

All of the information, photographs & schematics from this website and much more is now available in a 374 page printed book or in electronic format.

Information released to the press showed that in the final moments, the captain tried in vain to find the right procedure in the handbook, while the first officer was unable to control the plane. At the end, the sources told Reuters, the Indian-born captain, 31, was quiet, while the Indonesian officer, 41, said “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) — an Arabic phrase to express excitement, shock, praise or distress. The plane then hit water.

Flight profile from runway to last captured ADS-B point (Dave Reid)

The Ethiopian Airlines CEO at the crash site (Photo: Ethiopian Airlines)